No Time To Mourn:

<snip> “Bing Bong” Holly interrupted by shimmering into view on the main monitor “Turns out that we've managed to eliminate most of the invaders, so the Captains asking for volunteers for an expeditionary force to capture the alien cruiser”

“I'll go” Cass said automatically. Anything to get away from having to deal with these people.

Joribel couldn't help it; he'd been whining the last hour or more about the ship's lack of safety features. But really, an invading alien force had just . . . well . . . invaded, and they'd launched a giant space worm into the ship, which resulted in Joribel's new friend being eaten then exploded. But when the woman threatened to kill him (he privately thought a reprogramming with an axe was merely a veiled threat to his person), the officer finally shut up and did as he was bid: hefting people.

Holly's appearance to ask for a volunteer party to go to the other ship was intriguing, but it was followed quite closely by Joribel's wrist alarm sounding. He frowned, paling. Speaking loudly above the din, Joribel called out to no one in particular, "well, sounds lovely and all that, Holly, but I've got to go to bed now."

An entire room full of angry protests nearly made Joribel wet himself. 'Certainly not mister popular, what?' he thought.

Desperately, he explained, "Well, it's this light bee, you see. It needs charging every sixteen hours, for eight hours, or it goes wonky. I can't help it. I've got to go power down now." He gave a wavery smile. "But I'll be back in eight to help out and aid in getting the repairs and safeties under way, what?"

Joribel put down his half of the litter he'd been carrying and turned to walk out the door when a suddenly strong vise clamped onto his shoulder.

"The hell you will, Gerbil!" The current chaplain growled. "You're coming with us . . "

He shook his head, smiling politely, if a bit tremulously. "No," he interrupted her. "You don't understand." He tried to sound patient, heavens knew he tried, but he had a nagging suspicion his annoyance was showing. "You see, if I go with you, by the time we find and board that ship, my light bee will automatically shut off. So, I'll be forced to sleep anyway. Besides, TOD needs me . . ." he flushed at the odd-sounding statement he'd made, clamping his lips shut.

Cass leaned in a bit closer and growled again. "I'm counting on that light bee to fail . . ."

He paled to a sickly grey, his metallic black 'H' really standing out more like a bruise than an identifier. "But then how could I help you?"

A sardonic smirk pulled at the woman's lips as she whirled Joribel around and pushed him towards the doors . . . or what was left since they'd been busted down by a rampaging space worm. Joribel gulped, as he could swear he heard her murmur "I'll see to it your . . . attitude gets adjusted in the meantime."

The inspections officer had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't the only person on board who had hologramatic technological understanding.

<<Please let me know if this is okay. If not, I'll try again. But I looked over Cass's sheet and saw her personality and her . . . expertise? If this is out of line, tell me.>>